New York City

Stony Point, New York

New York, New York

New Orleans

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Akron, Ohio

Lee Friedlander: Man in the Shadows

A Washington state born photographer, Lee Friedlander, who was born in Aberdeen in 1934, has made his mark in the portraiture of the everyday culture of the American working class. He works in mainly black and white photography which reflected his upbringing in a coastal town where it was rainy and dreary. He later moved to New York where he married and had two children.

He photographed the everyday social landscape of America. This was reflected by showing who they were by what they made and that revealed who they were. The true character of the American people can be examined by looking at the cities and towns just as well as by examining portraiture. He shows the evolution of the American dream and how some people are still fighting to preserve the ways of yesterday.

Friedlander also shows the landscape around the portraits of the people he loves. He ties that in by intermixing the surroundings of their environment to the people themselves. A picture of a train bringing materials to the town where people live, a tree growing out of the foreground of their houses, a wire fence with his shadow discretely in the corner, showing himself yet not being visible directly, he is the shadow of the America he photographs.

He shows the contrast of the reality of everyday life compared to the dream life of what the American advertisers would like us to believe we all want it to be. He presents this by showing both together--the reality and the make believe. This too is part of the working man's culture. He presents his portraitures with humor and sadness at the same time, again showing the contrast of everyday life. The struggle is also depicted in the old versus the new and changing America.

Even with the struggles that Friedlander portrays he also shows that the American spirit will prevail. The character of the strong working man is there in all of us.

Prompts

• Was there anything that was unclear about my presentation or could be elaborated on more?

• Discuss which “social landscape” you identify with and explore the idea that what you do and produce in life reflects who you are.

• How has the American dream shifted in your opinion? Is America still based off of a core value of hard work and fulfillment or has the evolution to pop culture changed this?

• Why does Friedlander include himself in the shadows in some of his pictures?

• Look at any of Friedlander’s photos posted on the blog and describe how they represent American people and their character.

Olympia's Look Assignment

The Tale of Suzanne Manet

The tale of Suzanne Manet’s struggles with confidence and sense of worth are predominant in the story Olympia’s Look by Susan Vreeland. Suzanne goes through the story as a woman who is always trying to live up to what is expected of her. She learns French, becomes accustomed to the Parisian way of life, and even disguises her own son as a “brother” so that the disapproving father of her love, Edouard, will not be upset. Her entire world was devoted to the happiness of Edouard, until that is, that world no longer existed.

As Edouard wasted away from the effects of syphilis, the devotion that Suzanne had for him still persisted. She held him in his nightmares, held him during the amputation of his leg, and she held him as his last moments faded away. Only when forced by the loss of her love did Suzanne begin to realize she would have to “do things that satisfied her, not anyone else.” This first step towards confidence and self assurance came as she left the side of Edouard. She opened the doors of the church that his funeral service was being held at and stepped into the “different life” that would lead her to the realization and acceptance of her true worth. This is the first time Suzanne stops living a reactionary life and begins living her own life. Only when the reins were thrust into her hands was she willing to take them. As she is consoled by the mass of people who attended the funeral just “to be seen”, her first experience living a non-reactionary life, one of confidence and self-reliance, is realized. Edouard’s most recent “collaborator”, Isabelle Lemonnier expresses her condolences and is curtly brought back to the shame of her ways by Suzanne. This moment seems to be a breakthrough for the normally in her place woman. This instant is a catalyst for the final confrontation between Suzanne and the woman who can either be pictured as a symbol of ill repute, or as playing a pivotal role in the revolution of Suzanne’s character.

Victorine Meurent “started it”. This dying quote by Edouard is used shrewdly by Vreeland. The focus of the first half of the story was Edouard’s painting Olympia that was a depiction of Victorine. Suzanne seems to yearn for the brazen certainty that Victorine conveys in her eyes through the painting as her naked body lies unashamed on the canvas. Suzanne finds what she so previously wanted in a visit to the real Olympia. She confronts the cool Victorine and finds her nerve in a flash. The person who is expected is nowhere to be found; instead an assertive, convicted woman who has a fierce loyalty for the man she loved is at hand. She speaks of the years that Edouard and her had together, through happiness and through despondency. As Suzanne goes on with her diatribe directed towards the arrogant air of Victorine, she has an awakening. The intimacy Suzanne so greatly craved with Edouard is only satisfied through the realization that she was the only who supported him over the years, the only one who witnessed his illness and cared for him, the only one who saw him “frightened and powerless”, the only one who he loved “for herself”. As the story finishes, Vreeland allows Suzanne to develop a sense of acceptance. She accepts the past transgressions by Edouard, she accepts the life she will lead without him, and most importantly she accepts her new spirit, the spirit that will allow her to carry on independently, confidently, freely.

Annotated Bibliography-Answers to "Who is that Person" assignment
MLA


Chilvers , Ian. "Piero di Cosimo." Encyclopedia.com. 2003. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2 Feb 2009 .

Piero di Cosimo lived from approximately 1461 to 1521 and was a Florentine painter. He was adopted by Cosimo Rosselli, hence the name Cosimo. Little is known about Piero di Cosimo because none of his works were signed or dated. The only way that most of his paintings are accredited to him is through the biography that Vasari’s wrote about Piero di Cosimo. Apparently Piero di Cosimo was a very eccentric man who lived off of hard boiled eggs that he boiled along with his glue. He distanced himself from society and had a vast imagination. Many of his paintings contain mythological and fanciful creatures and images such as nymphs and fawns. These paralleled his remarkable ability to create scenes in his mind that were reflected in his paintings. His imagination carried into the world of portraiture, as seen in the depiction of Simonetta Vespucci as Cleopatra, but somehow did not affect his religious paintings.

Harness, Brenda. "Simonetta Vespucci." Fine Art Touch. 2007. 3 Feb 2009 .

“La Bella Simonetta” as she was called after her arrival in Flourance, was considered the most beautiful woman of the time. Botticelli seemed to worship Simonetta Vespucci as she was nearly the only female he featured in his artwork. Even after her untimely death, Botticelli still painted her face and even requested to be buried at her feet. Simonetta Vespucci was the model for the famous The Birth of Venus and there is debate as to whether she was born in Genoa, or Portovenere which is the same town that is believed to be the birth place of the goddess Venus. With a beauty such as Venus’s, Simonetta was married very young at the age of fifteen and died by the age of twenty two from tuberculosis. Within this short amount of time, she had been awarded the title “The Queen of Beauty” at a local jousting tournament and was called “The Unparalleled One” by Botticelli. Simonetta embodied the essence of what Florentines felt was beauty at the time. This perfection by their standards lead to Simonetta Vespucci being one of the most recognizable woman in the world of art.

Schneider, Norbert . " Piero di Cosimo." The Triumph of the City The High Renaissance & Mannerism. 3 Feb 2009 .

This site looked deeper into the symbolism rich painting that some misinterpret. The image of Simonetta Vespucci was a posthumous painting that revered her for her beauty but also had many representations of her early death. The black clouds that lay behind her in the landscape are thought to bring a “gloomy” mood to the painting; maybe it is representing death coming towards the young beauty. The withered tree on the left side of the painting is apparently another symbol for death in the Italian Renaissance. The snake is perhaps the most obvious, and according to this source misconstrued symbol in the portrait. The snake is very often thought to be representative of an asp as a reference to Cleopatra and her suicide. Schneider reveals that Vasari, who came up with this allusion, was not familiar with the symbolism of a snake biting its own tail which represents eternity and “time’s rejuvenating cycle”. "Ianuensis" is inscribed under the portrait of Simonetta, meaning belonging to Janus, the god of the New Year, ever living on in the paintings of great artists even though she is no long of this world.

Deluded Beings

The idea of technology stealing the human spirit is something that is frightening. Should children be sat down in front of the television and allowed to watch never ending media? Should teenagers spend hours on the internet everyday playing games, chatting with friends, and networking with people around the world? What effects does this sort of mass media have on the ones who are most exposed and emerged in it? The consequences will not be seen for some years if technology is indeed damaging. But from the evidence available now, mass media does seem to have somewhat of a harmful affect on the human spirit.

Families seem mesmerized by the glowing images that project from their big screen televisions as they sit down to eat dinner. Instead of asking the children how their day at school went or trying to resolve a conflict between siblings, the focus is on pop stars and what they’re wearing. The glamour life is apparent not only throughout Hollywood, but in every home in America. We welcome it into our lives, our beings, and ask why our lives aren’t as luxurious. Little do people realize that it is slowly destroying the character that human kind has amassed over our history as a species.

Mankind’s short existence has led to many great advances, but perhaps all of the creations that have furthered man have also hindered him. In the modern day, it now seems as if advertisements, celebrities, and the constant need for virtual noise are imperative. Machines control all of the small tasks that used to be performed by humans, the tasks that would let people appreciate the small things now proceed in the background, unnoticed and forgotten. There are few tasks that are left up to the imperfect hands of man which allows more time to be immersed in the deadening barrage of screens. This obsession leads to unhealthy family relationships, obesity, and most terrifying of all, lack of life.

Activities such as sports, spending time with friends, and forming relationships are being substituted for pseudo interactions with created characters from everyone’s favorite shows. Somehow, these imaginary personas’s form a strong bond with people even though no physical relationship is fashioned. This leads to a life of solitude. Computers are a great example of this paradox. How can one be connected with the entire world and yet be so alone? It is because of scenarios such as these that humans are changing at a fundamental level. Once a social animal, the solitary life seems to be consuming entire generations. This style of interaction, through electronics and fantasized friends is a shallow substitute for actual contact. It warps the perception of reality and even of time.

In moderation, technology is a powerful advantage to humans. Unfortunately, the excess of today’s use of this power has corrupted its benefits and turned them into detriments. No more are the days of playing outside, watching the clouds whisper by, or experiencing the world that shaped mankind into greatness. Now these experiences are jaded, expressed through the eyes of the few, fed to the masses, and devoured as quickly as the brain can process. What once was a boundless opportunity for growth has now limited the ability to live.

The Dorian Gray Assignment

Cries of the Conscience


The picture of Dorian Gray seems to embody more than the portrait of the young man, part of his soul is intertwined with the canvas. A pure youth is gazing out of the painting. No maladies or blemishes reside on the unpolluted face of Dorian Gray. This will soon change. As Lord Henry Wotton begins to speak, the untainted mind of Dorian Gray absorbs his words just as a sponge absorbs the sullied spills that are left behind. Dorian begins to wander the dark allies of London during the nights. There he finds his love Sybil Vane. He proceeds to use the young woman that he loves and then writes her a scathing letter full of hurtful words. She kills herself because of this. Dorian moves on rather quickly and is still quite youthful. His portrait however, is not. Lines appear on the face and this is just the beginning of horrid marks that will reside on the face.

Dorian continues with his wicked ways and hedonistic pleasures. The young Gladys is madly in love with him, and soon he accepts her offers. She sees no evil in him, but Sybil’s brother is wiser. He begins to hunt Dorian. This seems to trigger a change and Dorian remorse’s about his past transgressions. He returns to London and vows to destroy the painting. As he gazes upon the portrait for the last time, he sees a kindness still present in its eyes, in himself. He stabs the painting in the heart, but dies himself. The soul that was contained in the portrait was also his own, one in the same. As he lay dying, he prays for forgiveness, but he is not spared his good looks. The portrait transforms back to its original state and he becomes what the picture portrayed.

Dorian Gray’s entire outlook upon life was transformed by Lord Henry in part of the opening scene. Lord Henry begins to refer to the pleasures of life and how they should be seized as he tries to do the same to a butterfly. The freedom and beauty of the butterfly represents the conscience of Dorian as an innocent youth. Just as the butterfly was captured and imprisoned, so was Dorian’s soul and conscience by the terrible influence Lord Henry’s words had on Dorian. The want for youth seems to be extremely prevalent in Dorian’s mind. To lose his youth would seem to him to lose himself. If only he could stay young forever he ponders. This greed for something as pure as youth begins Dorian on his path of demise.

The butterfly is now static as a specimen for Lord Henry. This fate is the same for Dorian. His youth persists and so does his selfishness that is often seen in the young. He seems frozen in time, unchanged. Nothing seems to affect Dorian. His despicable deeds go without repentance and his soul becomes more mangled. The only action that seems to affect him is the act of being hunted. He flees like the butterfly but cannot escape the reality of his sins. He is captured by his own conscience and realizes his must destroy the part of him that Lord Henry uncovered so long ago. He resides to break free, as the butterfly could not, but his attempt is futile. Just as the butterfly struggled to be free and failed, Dorian stabbed the painting in the heart that both he and the image shared. One can never hide from the cries of the conscience and neither could Dorian Gray.

Who is that person?

The Priestess, #9

A strong face stares into the distance as a confident, half naked woman, presumably a priestess or some sort of goddess, is captured in her natural state. Her face and shoulders are the main point of light in the image. A snake adorns her neck seemingly giving her an air of superhuman capabilities. It is juxtaposed to her cream colored skin as a black backed creature. The only other article of clothing is a red and black shawl that she does not use to cover herself. There seems to be no need for her to feel ashamed. She is a gift to her surroundings.

In the background, yellow grasses lead into the rocks of the border between land and sea. A Mediterranean atmosphere persists through the image. Even the colors of Crete are represented in her shawl. Some trees ornament the terrain and white clouds are seen above the sea. The only dark clouds are behind her profiled face. This may be to create more contrast or to forebode an ominous presence, maybe the woman’s or perhaps the person or thing she is looking so confidently towards.

Whatever is possibly in the distance, her eyes are fixed. They also fix the viewers gaze for the initial glance at the image. Her eyes pick up the color of her hair which is decorated ornately. Many braids, that mimic the snake that weaves around her neck, are stacked upon her head. Different types of accessories such as pearls and strands of beads run throughout her elaborately concocted updo. She must be a woman of great importance or reverence to have such a lavishly created hairstyle. She seems very at peace with herself. There is serenity to her face. The edges of her mouth curve upward ever so slightly to give her thoughtful eyes a look of contentment instead of sadness. She might be a youth who is naïve of the dangers lurking in the world, but something in her eyes persists that she is wise beyond her years.

Even though she seems very comfortable where she is, her image does not fit with her surroundings. She is the central point of light, the shining beauty in an otherwise average backdrop. All attention is brought to her, and then to the snake. They seem at odds with one another, herself a symbol of purity and the snake a symbol of evil. Perhaps this is just the view that the Bible has put upon snakes. Ancient Greek cultures used snakes to represent many different things, not just evil as is seen in today’s world. This is possibly why the woman does not seem concerned with the serpent that has coiled itself around her neck. Her confidence spreads even to this part of the image. Most would not be so calm with a snake so close to vital body parts. But the woman’s tranquility is the dominating factor in her face and in the image. This I believe is how the subject approaches all aspects of life, calm and confident.